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March 15
1800s *1885 - A lower court in New York decides that playing baseball on Sunday is a crime. This decision will be overturned, but it will be appealed. 1900s *1901 - Star third baseman Jimmy Collins jumps from the National League to the American League. The 28-year-old Collins leaves the Boston Beaneaters to sign a guaranteed $4,000 contract with the Boston Somersets. 1910s *1917 - The Boston Red Sox lose to the Brooklyn Dodgers, 7–2, in the "Hot Springs World Series." Both teams are training in Arkansas and will barnstorm north together. 1920s *1925 - Chicago Cubs shortstop Rabbit Maranville breaks his leg sliding into third base in an exhibition game in Los Angeles. At 33, the injury threatens to end his career, but Maranville will be back in the lineup by May 24. 1930s 1940s *1941 - In Monterrey, Mexico, 6000 fans watch the St. Louis Browns top the Boston Bees, 6–3. Chet Laabs, fighting to win the right fielder spot, hits a 400-fit home run in the 7th inning. *1944: **Due to World War II travel restrictions, the Boston Red Sox open training camp at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. **In Maryland, the Washington Senators start spring training with six knuckleballers likely to make the staff: Alex Carrasquel, Mickey Haefner, Dutch Leonard, Bill Lefebvre, John Niggeling and Roger Wolff. Solid catcher Rick Ferrell will have to corral the flutterballs. Finally, Haefner, Leonard, Niggeling and Wolff will join Early Wynn in the starting rotation. The rest goes to the bullpen. *1945: **With World War II travel restrictions still in effect, the Brooklyn Dodgers open spring training at Bear Mountain, New York, with 15 players in camp. Seven teams — the St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox — are training in Indiana, the most of any state. The Boston Red Sox are at Tufts College while the Boston Braves are prepping at the Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut. **Bert Shepard, a one-legged pitcher, begins a successful tryout with the Washington Senators. Shepard’s leg was amputated after a World War II flying mission. Shepard will pitch in only one game for the Senators, but his stint will be impressive. On August 4, he will pitch five and one-third innings of one-run ball against the Boston Red Sox. Also a symbol of wartime baseball, outfielder Pete Gray of the St. Louis Browns, will field and bat with only one arm. 1950s 1960s *1960 - The New Orleans Pelicans cease operation as a member of the Southern Association, and the Little Rock Travelers replaces them. 1970s *1971 - Bernice Gera, a 39-year-old New York housewife, files a lawsuit against organized baseball, claiming violation of her civil rights. Mrs. Gera had completed an umpire school and signed a contract to work in the New York-Penn League, only to see the deal had been voided six days later with no explanation. Gera will eventually umpire one game before quitting. *1974 - In Yuma, Arizona, San Francisco Giants twenty-four game-winning pitcher Ron Bryant is hurt in a pool accident, and his record will drop to 3-15 this season. *1975 - The Los Angeles Dodgers sign future Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal. A former San Francisco Giants All-Star, Marichal will make only two appearances with the Dodgers before retiring for good. *1977 - In a ten-player megatrade, the Pittsburgh Pirates send Tony Armas, Doug Bair, Dave Giusti, Rick Langford, Doc Medich, and Mitchell Page to the Oakland Athletics, in exchange for Phil Garner, Tommy Helms, and Chris Batton. *1978 - The Oakland Athletics trade star pitcher Vida Blue to the San Francisco Giants for seven players and nearly $400,000 in cash. In exchange for Blue, Oakland acquire catcher Gary Alexander, infielder Mario Guerrero, outfielder Gary Thomasson, and pitchers Dave Heaverlo, Phil Huffman, John Henry Johnson and Alan Wirth. Blue will win 18 games for the Giants in 1978. 1980s *1983 - Cy Young Award winner Pete Vuckovich is found to have a torn rotator cuff in his pitching shoulder that will sideline him for almost the entire 1983 season. 1990s *1991 - The Kansas City Royals release Bo Jackson, who had injured his hip playing football for the Los Angeles Raiders. In April, Jackson will sign a contract with the Chicago White Sox. 2000s *2000 - In spring training action, Boston Red Sox star Pedro Martínez and five relievers combined on a perfect game beating the Toronto Blue Jays, 5–0. *2006 - Two games were played today in Round Two of the inaugural World Baseball Classic: **'Pool One:' ***At Angel Stadium, Chan Ho Park and four relievers combined to pitch a six-hitter, Jong Beom Lee hit a two-run double in the eighth inning, and South Korea beat Japan, 2–1, to clinch a spot in the semifinals. The United States, who would have been eliminated with a low-scoring win by Japan, can wrap up the other semifinal berth tomorrow with Roger Clemens on the mound by beating Mexico. South Korea went 3-0 in Round 2; the United States is 1-1, Japan finished 1-2, and Mexico is 0-2. The US beat Mexico 2-0 in the first round. South Korea (6-0) still as the only team undefeated in the Classic. ***At Hiram Bithorn Stadium, Cuba earned a berth in semifinals after defeating Puerto Rico, 4–3. After getting pounded 12–2 by Puerto Rico in the first round, Cuba won two of its last three games to advance. Puerto Rico, which won its first four games of the WBC, was eliminated. Births *1860 - Arlie Latham, infielder (d. 1952) *1870 - Doc Casey, infielder (d. 1936) *1898 - Rosy Ryan, pitcher (d. 1980) *1907 - Lou Fette, All-Star pitcher (d. 1981) *1919 - Whitey Wietelmann, infielder (d. 2002) *1919 - Ray Noble, catcher (d. 1998) *1938 - Bob Locker, pitcher *1944 - Wayne Granger, pitcher *1946 - Bobby Bonds, All-Star outfielder (d. 2003) *1949 - Jim Kern, All-Star pitcher *1955 - Mickey Hatcher, OF/ IF *1959 - Harold Baines, All-Star OF/ DH *1960 - Mike Pagliarulo, infielder *1974 - Robert Fick, All-Star IF/ OF *1975 - Vladimir Núñez, pitcher *1979 - Kevin Youkilis, infielder Deaths *1949 - Bill Cissell, infielder (b. 1904) *2004 - Vedie Himsl, manager (b. 1917)